Survivour
by WindlessHarmony
Summary: Rin, demon of the underground, is suddenly called upon by the life he thought he destroyed. Unfortunately for the one calling on him, Rin isn't going willingly. Older!Nagisa. Angel/Demon AU. Ringisa.
1. Reunited

There was a reason why no one went down these old tunnels. Why words were whispered in the dark of night, voices hushed and bodies trembling at the thought of what such stories could bring. That place was off-limits; travelers were told to avoid it, rowdy children were calmed with just it's name. Those that did happen to venture there became lost; no one heard from them again.

A mountain range ran across the backdrop of the beautiful landscape, offering a view of snow-capped mountains and the lovely setting sun. Just beyond was a large gleaming city, visible only upon the highest mountain. Trees spread out in all directions, covering the land below the town hidden within the woods. Rivers and streams ran to a large lake just below, overrun with fish and wildlife. It was truly a beautiful place. The only thing that kept such an area free of intruders was the gruesome story behind it.

A demon was said to live below the lake, hidden within the twisting tunnels and long shadows. But it wasn't just a simple demon; he was the demon of seduction, a powerful creature accustomed to getting his way. Luckily for the villagers he only visited them once a year. The seductive being lived not here, but within the gleaming city, traveling through long tunnels and moonlit nights to get where he needed to go.

In truth, there was a whole bustling plaza beneath the human dwellings. It mirrored the place above it, appearing to be a city but doused in shadows. Torches were the sun and the buildings were made out of sturdy stone. The only thing that set it apart were it's inhabitants. Angels and demons, fairies and ghouls, werewolves and vampires. This underground city was a place only for the supernatural beings that prowled the earth.

The heiarchy was fairly simple; angels, vampires, and demons were on top, everything else was below them. Angels mostly spent their time above ground, however. No one could really tell you the story of how that came to be; any questions were brushed off with say, an offer of a drink or a bowl of rice. By the time that they remembered they had business in the underground city, they were drunk and naked in some back alley, stripped of their belongings. It was truly a despairing thing to wake up to.

Most would've thought that this was as dark as it got; the city was already filled with supernatural beings, what more could go wrong? Quite a bit, actually. Even the underground had darker tones to it, and they came in the form of slaves and the houses that they were sold in. Demons and vampires loved to have pets; they came in any unfortunate soul that happened to be captured the week before. The most prized were the humans, weak little things that had no hope of freeing themselves once they were caught. Most of them barely lasted a week, killed by a vampire's bloodlust or a demon's drive for a soul. In the underground city, human's lived short lives; this place was for the supernatural ones.

This is also where Matsuoka Rin, the demon of seduction, made his home.

He was a powerful being, one that could easily take whatever he wanted from anyone he wanted. Rin had helped make this underground city, known as Akuryo, from the ground up. Being one of the original creators of such a place put him on ledges higher than the others. With this newfound respect, Rin easily drove the four others that had helped create Akuryo from it's depths, and although he still wasn't the oldest demon upon the earth, he was cetainly the oldest one here in this closed off place. All others fled from him but that was exactly as he wanted it to be.

At the current moment, Rin ran the slave trading business and was the leader of the group known as Samezuka. There were probably far more glorious things he could be doing, like heading Akuryo's city council, but order and fancy suits just weren't his style. The demon preferred to have freedom over what he did; it contradicted his line of work, which meant to take that freedom away. He didn't care though. Rin did what he wanted because he wanted to; if others were harmed because of that then so be it.

That was how things went down here; you were in control or you weren't.

Today was just like all the others. Or at least, that's what Rin figured it would be. The broad-shouldered demon made his way down the hall, boots clicking against rusting metal. A long black-furred tail lashed languidly behind his form, fine hairs forming a small tuft at the end. Matching ears flicked forwards, attempting to catch any sort of small sound. He wore a long black jacket, the bottom just above his ankles. The fabric was weaved with intricate red and silver threads, giving the demon an illusion of flickering lights. Unlike most of his kin, Rin kept his wings in plain sight, the bat-like vertebre pressed against his back. When extended, they spanned a good seven feet, appearing almost like sails. Fine hairs covered them, providing silent gliding in the still air of Akuryo. Rin was a proud demon; he showed off whenever he could and boasted about many of his skills.

He raised a black-nailed hand, running it over smooth metal bars. The creature hidden within the shadows shrank back even further, cerulean eyes wide in terror. A growl bubbled up in his throat; seeing such weakness made the hair along his neck bristle. "That'll get beaten out of you, that little bit of resistance." Rin glared before continuing along on his way. He was always the one to check out new arrivals before his guards set about breaking them.

Most of them were lesser demons and the occasional fairy, with a few humans throw into the mix. Nothing worth his time. As he neared the end, however, Rin paused in his tracks. A faint orange glow dragged across the ground, illuminating the cell across from it. The demon's eyes narrowed, thin lips lifting in a growl of unease.

A glow like that only belonged to one specific race.

And if one was here, it could only spell trouble for Rin and his business.

"You don't have to act so hostile. It's not like I'm gonna bite you~" The voice startled the demon from his thoughts. Rin prowled up to the cell, red eyes sharp. Just as he thought, the creature he had been avoiding the most was seated quite casually on the torn bedsheets. Just seeing the angel sitting there would've set him running for his guards but Rin couldn't force himself to move. He actually _knew_ this angel, and seeing him in Akuryo again forced a growl past his lips. "What are _you_ doing here?" The question was sharp, low and angry, accentuated with a flick of a long tail.

That was when Rin actually seen the state the angel was in. A brown wing rested at an awkward angle, the thin bone made to keep it all together broken through soft feathers. Several of those feathers were scattered throughout the cell, and now that Rin looked, he could see a few laying on the ground outside, leading from the door to here. The demon should've paid more attention. Blood dotted the metal below his feet, smeared across the bar clenched tightly between his fingers, as well as staining the sheet that the angel was seated upon. It appeared that the blood flow hadn't stopped, which surprised Rin; couldn't he just heal himself?

"I do believe I should be asking you that question, seeing as I was the one tied up and drugged." The words were spoken quietly, magenta eyes flashing in challenge. The demon's ears flicked back, his tail twitching in unease. He had forgotten about the drug; that was probably the reason why the angel hadn't yet healed himself. The drug took away all magical abilities and made the unfortunate victim pass out for a few hours, just long enough to transport them here. But surely his Catchers would've been smart enough to know that this was an _angel_.

And one that he knew.

Rin wasn't quite sure what to say, so he simply uttered the first words that came to mind. "You look ... older." The angel tipped his head back and actually _laughed_, despite the pain he was probably in. "We haven't seen each other in nearly two-hundred years, and _that's_ the only thing you can come up with?" His ears burned. The demon had never been very good with words. But it was true. Angel, demon, or _not_, you still aged, and this specific angel had grown from the little newborn he had known all those years ago. If Rin took a moment to strip away the fact that he was an angel, he figured that he was quite attractive all grown up.

He was honestly a little surprised to see the angel again. Along with three others, this creature was part of the group that he had originally chased away from Akuryo. Rin should be angry that the angel had once again ventured into his territory, but he couldn't find it in him. He was actually a little ... glad that the other appeared here. The demon was reminded of endless nights talking and memories of starlit skies above ground. Realizing that his mind was wandering, he shook the thoughts away, forcing the pain in his chest away. He looked back up, trying to appear strong.

Rin chose to ignore the angel's words from before.

"You do know where you are, right?"

The angel's smile was almost honey-sweet. "Of course I do, Rin-chan. I got sent here on purpose."

"Maybe you should share that little story with me, Nagisa."

Long lashes batted at the one hovering outside of the cage. "I'm so glad you remember me, Rin-chan. Now then, onto more ... _interesting_ matters."

Rin somehow didn't like the sound of those words. He narrowed his eyes, leaning against the bars heavily. His tail flicked, the movement being followed by barely-moving magenta eyes. The smile grew wider.

"You see, the Original's need your help again. I'm afraid that a special little group has decided to reappear after all these years. We'd like to ask your assistance in capturing them. You _are_ the best Catcher down here in Akuryo." The demon growled. "You're not talking about _them_, are you?"

"Unfortunately, I am. And I'm afraid they've captured Gou-chan. Normally we wouldn't bother you since you pretty told us to never talk to you again but we figured that this would be something that you cared about." Rin's ears pricked at the sound of his sister's name, eyes wide in shock. Even with that, however, he didn't jump at the bait that Nagisa was laying out before him. His sister was a demon for a reason; she could take care of herself. At least, that's what he was telling himself.

If he went, that meant letting Nagisa out of his cage, and the demon wasn't quite ready to let the angel go just yet. Angel's were rare catches; even if the blond-haired angel made it so he'd be brought here, only Rin had control of his release. The demon's smile was wide and devious.

"Kou is gonna have to wait just a bit longer. It's not often I get an angel here at Samezuka."

Oh it was wonderful watching Nagisa's smile melt away.

* * *

I've been wanting to do a demon/angel AU for a while now, and this is what I settled on. This is gonna be multi-chaptered, and I swear I _will_ get it done this time. I'll try to update every Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on motivation~


	2. Fallen

When he first learned of his mission, Nagisa had done every little thing he could think of to escape from it. The angel had attempted to switch with some of the others but they all ran away before he could do so. But Nagisa couldn't blame them; no one wanted to venture into the dark underbelly of the human cities. The only reason he had even been given the task in the first place was due to his history; he had more experience with the dark place. And he was one of the five who created it.

He spent the days before he went wandering the halls, restless and unable to sleep. His wings fluttered, he tripped over his feet more than usual, and his magic seemed to flicker. Nagisa knew exactly why too.

The angel was being sent to fetch Matsuoka Rin.

Just the name made him cringe. For the past two-hundred years, Nagisa had been chasing away images and memories from his mind, trying to forget about the demon. Things had been wonderful between the both of them back then. Nagisa would jump on Rin's shoulders and even though the demon would be angry about it, he'd still carry him around. They were young by supernatural standards, just children even though Rin and everyone else were nearly 200-300 years older than him. But those had been the good days, all of them meeting in secret.

But the young angel hadn't always been part of their group. In fact, the first time he had seen them, Nagisa had barely been a human, a mere seven years old. His mother had sent him out to fetch some berries; they only grew in a special patch upon the mountain side. Some birds nearby had suddenly flown away in a hurry, startling him. At the time, Nagisa didn't quite understand what was going on. There had simply been a flash of light and then he had watched what looked like a demon shoot off down the path.

Nagisa had followed it from his village, simply curious as to what a demon was doing so close to humans. Unfortunately for the then human, he had slipped down one of the mountains. The impact had been enough to kill him, and Nagisa spent what felt like years in heaven, watching his family mourn below him. Eventually he went from a normal soul to an angel, free to do what he liked and walk upon the earth. His curiosity hadn't been extinguished with his death, however; the angel still wanted to know why a demon had been prowling around humans.

The angel had gone back to the very place he'd died. His village had changed quite a bit, the land scorched from a fire years earlier. Nagisa almost didn't recognize the new buildings. They weren't created out of wood; these ones gleamed. His small village was now a bustling city, filled with cars and roads and a bad smelling stench that seemed to radiate from the ground. Humans prowled the streets, all of them busy doing something. There wasn't a single one without a phone or some sort of electronic device. The sight of them was strange; Nagisa barely knew what they were at first.

He'd spent a few days just wandering around, his body hidden from view. The angel had simply wished to check out the new strange place. His old home was gone now, destroyed when the fire ripped through the mountainside. A large gleaming building was now in its place, towering over the rest of the city. Nagisa was surprised that such a structure could replace a four room wooden house so easily.

On his last day, the angel was just about to leave when a sudden shadowy feeling washed over him. He paused, wings fluttering in unease. Although he wasn't a trained angel just yet, Nagisa easily recognized the feeling of a demon, a cold shiver running down his spine. Without even having to see it, he knew. He knew exactly which demon it was.

He had followed after the strange creature, surprised to find himself at the very berry patch his mother had sent him to all those years ago. Well, it wasn't a berry patch anymore. The plants had dried up by now. Apparently the fire had reached even here; the mountainside was nothing but grassy plains, grown back by the ashes. It didn't change the fact that this is where he had died, however. Just returning here was setting him on edge.

Nagisa took a few steps forward, seeing a glowing stone lying on the ground. It was small, about the size of an egg, and had a strange marking carved into it. The angel went to reach for it with trembling hands-

A loud bang broke the blond from his dream, magenta eyes wide with shock. He glanced around in an attempt to figure out where he was. The smell of blood and death was thick in the air, Nagisa realizing that he was still trapped within Samezuka, Rin's slave trading business. His body ached as he sat up, cuts reopening as his muscles were stretched taut. The angel's wing was still broken, sending sharp stabs of pain through his back and down his spine at each jerky movement. Whatever drug they had given him was strong. Supernatural beings, especially angels, were normally never affected by such things. If you couldn't get sick, poisons shouldn't harm you. But apparently Rin had found a way.

Nagisa leaned forwards, pressing his face into his hands. "Why would I dream about all of that?" He whispered. Those events had happened nearly three hundred years ago. The angel had been young by supernatural standards, about eight in human years. He'd been stupid, being lured in by a demon. Even though he said that, this city had sprung up because of it. And besides, he was still alive. Well, for now at least.

Now Nagisa resembled a young adult, around the age of a sixteen or seventeen year old. But he was still small; that's how he had always been. The angel was short, and if it weren't for the feeling of his power, many would probably think he was still just a child.

The blond lifted his hand, running it over the soft feathers of his injured wing. It hung limply against his side, a fragile bone poking through taut sinew. Blood had crusted around the wound but with his sudden movement earlier, it had reopened. A few fresh drops landed on his fingers. Nagisa had suffered with the injury for more than twenty-four hours by this point. He felt his stomach churn, a small shiver running up his spine. If he wasn't allowed to heal his wing soon, he might not be able to. An angel's wings were their pride and joy; they always made sure to take care of them. Without out their wings they became Fallen, no longer Guardian Angels, being forced to wander the earthly plain by themself.

His heart fluttered in his chest at the thought, Nagisa's throat almost closing up. He didn't want to become Fallen; his life was in the clouds, watching over his precious humans. That was the life he had chosen for himself. But it appeared that this simple mission, one that he didn't even want in the first place, was going to take that from him. Nagisa felt like crying; the realization was so sudden. This mission was probably his last one. Maybe if he could heal his wing ... No, Rin probably wouldn't allow that.

After all, it was the only way they could keep an angel grounded. Rin's guards had told him that right before they broke it.

Of course he had struggled. An angel, by law, wasn't allowed to kill another being. But he fought, and he fought hard. Out of the four guards that came after him, Nagisa had been able to knock two of them out, make a nice little battle scar on one, and nearly get away from the fourth. He hadn't been quite so lucky though; another guard had appeared out of no where. It didn't take long for them to tie him up and break his wing; Nagisa could only lay there as they did so. He was just glad that it had only been one of his precious wings.

Nagisa stretched out his uninjured wing, moving it to work the feeling of disuse free. He set about cleaning them, picking out all of the fuzz, dirt, and anything else that happened to get lost in the beautiful feathers. His injured one was a bit of a challenge. Most of his feathers were crusted with blood, several of them being his flight feathers. The only way to clean those would be with water; Nagisa couldn't pluck them away as they were essential to his flight.

"You seem pretty familiar with those now." The voice startled him, magenta eyes flicking over to the cage bars. Rin leaned against them, tail lashing. "The first time I seen you try to clean those, you fell over at least twice." Nagisa snorted, continuing his work. "I won't have wings to clean tomorrow so I better enjoy them while I can." He blinked back tears at the thought of being Wingless; Nagisa would honestly give anything to stop that from happening. He ran his fingers under the feathers, shaking a bit of gravel and dirt from them. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm an angel, Rin-chan. An angel with broken wings is Fallen. An angel without wings isn't an angel at all. Once you lose your wings, you're never allowed to return to Heaven." Nagisa's shoulders sagged, his hands settling in his lap. It was rare to see him so down but this was his whole life. HIs wings were the only thing keeping him connected to that life.

"That's not my problem, Nagisa. Whether you have wings or not isn't my concern. You're a prisoner here at Samezuka now; it's better to get used to that fact as soon as possible. There's no one coming to rescue you and there's no one here that's going to set you free." The blond stared at Rin with wide eyes. When had the demon become so cold? They had been best friends all those years ago. "But Rin-chan ... I came down here to get you. Gou-chan is in trouble. Normally I wouldn't bother you; you're the one that chased me away in the first place. But we can't do this alone. We can't save her by ourselves. If we could, don't you think we would've done it by now?"

The angel was aware that he was grasping at straws but it was the only thing he could think of in that moment. "Please ... We can't just leave Gou-chan with them ..." Rin growled, banging his hand against the bars. "If I go with you, Nagisa, then you have to promise me something. Once we get my sister, you leave me alone for the rest of our lives. You never come down here again, never contact me, and never, under any circumstances, visit Akuryo again. I don't ever want to see you again after we save her, understand?"

Nagisa's heart stung at the words but he nodded. The angel looked away, unable to stare at Rin. He could understand why Rin wanted nothing to do with him. But the demon had been the one to chase _him_ away; it was his fault that things were still unfinished between them.

He pressed his wing tightly against his back. "As long as you help us get Gou-chan back, then I don't care what you want to do." Nagisa just hoped his words were believable.

"Fine then. I'll let the drugs drain from your system and you can heal yourself. I'll be back sometime tomorrow to get you." The angel looked back at Rin as he started walking away, glaring at him. "Do you really have to keep me in a cage? It's not like I'm going to hurt anyone." Fiery eyes glared right back. "I'm not worried about you hurting someone. I'm worried about someone hurting you." Before Nagisa could ask what he meant, Rin vanished down the hallway.

* * *

I haven't gotten to watch Free! since episode seven because of my internet connection but I heard about the ending and omfg my heart /flails

Anyways, this is a day late but only because I couldn't get the chapter to flow right and I'm still not a fan of how this one went. :/ Hopefully the next one shall be better yessu.


	3. Shifting

It took a few hours for the strange drug to fade out of his system. Nagisa didn't ask what it was and Rin certainly wasn't going to tell him. The angel managed to heal all of his minor cuts and bruises but his wing was a bit of a challenge. It wasn't because his energy was low; it was just the process of healing his wing wasn't exactly going to be easy.

HIs first two attempts brought the guards running to check on him. By the third attempt, Rin himself appeared to see what was the matter. Nagisa's fourth try was actually successful, for the most part. He had an audience by that point but he'd rather endure endless pain than become Fallen. Before the blond could fully heal his wing, he had to reset it. And in order to do that, he had to stretch the wounded appendage out against the bed. Each little movement tore open the freshly formed scabs, his blood-crusted feathers drifting to the floor as they finally came loose. That wouldn't been easy enough to do but unfortunately that wasn't the entire process.

Nagisa had to push the thin bones back into place as well. By the time he managed, his hands were stained red and he ached even worse than when his wing was simply broken. The warm light enveloped his wing, sinking into broken feathers and fragile bones, healing it from the inside. The angel let out a sigh, slumping back against the wall in relief. He flexed his wing, loving the feeling of mobility. For a moment, he actually forgot that Rin and his guards were just outside his cell.

Magenta eyes drifted over to meet Rin's. The demon instantly waved away his guards, watching them patter down the hall a bit reluctantly. "Didn't know you had to go through so much pain just to heal yourself." The angel shrugged, standing up so he could fully stretch out his wings. They were itching for a flight at this point; he hadn't used them in a few days after all. "There's a lot of things you don't know about angels. Wings aren't exactly easy things to heal. Do it wrong and it can end up twisted. Then you can't fly anymore. But leave it broken and it's still pretty much the same fate. Fallen angels aren't really angels at all."

There was a clink of keys against the bars, signaling that Rin leaned on them. A sigh broke the silence. "Don't sound so dramatic. It's not like your life would be over if you lost your wings." Nagisa pressed the newly healed wing tightly against his back, glaring at the demon. "I'm not just an angel; I'm a Guardian Angel. I watch over humans of my own. Without me, they're likely to get hurt."

Rin raised his hands in sarcastic defense. "Oh my, a _Guardian Angel_. So poetic." The demon rolled his eyes, snorting. "I thought you'd gotten smarter as you grew older but apparently I was wrong. You're still as annoying as you were back then."

Nagisa was silent for a moment, his breathing wavering. He let out a soft huff. "Let me out of this cell. I have to go save Gou-chan whether you want to help or not. I'm not wasting my time trying to convince you to go. And I certainly don't want to listen to you insult me every step of the way."

The angel watched as the gears started to turn in RIn's head, their eyes meeting. He saw the anger simmering in those depths, as if he was trying to figure out whether to go save Gou and then kill Nagisa, or kill the angel now and then go save his sister. His feathers ruffled, a sign of nervousness. Finally, after several drawn out minutes, Rin tugged out his keys and unlocked the cell door. The hinges squealed in protest, the angel trotting up to the open doorway. "Like I said, once we find Gou, you stay away from Akuryo. Stick close to me and don't wander off."

Rin slid the door closed and began making his way down the hall. Nagisa hesitated, wings twitching. The area was actually quite large, going both left and right with cells similar to his along the walls. They were clean, scrubbed of dirt and rust. Nagisa found that a bit odd but it must've had something to do with the fact that Samezuka was a slave ring. It was a good thing he left all of his stuff back at his own home, otherwise it would've been taken from him and sold once he got here.

The angel realized that Rin hadn't waited for him and struggled to catch up, pattering down the hallway on silent feet. Each cell he passed was filled with some sort of creature; vampires, werewolves, ghouls. There were so many of them, all huddled in the dark corners and draped in thin rags. The shock of that brought Nagisa to a complete halt, his eyes wide at the sights around him. So many beings had their freewill stripped from them, forced to lay in cages until who knew what would happen to them; the suspense would make him go crazy.

Nagisa flicked his eyes back to Rin. The demon had paused to wait for him, tail lashing impatiently. He looked back to the cage next to him, heart aching for the creature trapped inside. It was a female demon by the looks of her, one of the lesser newborns as the power around her was weak. She didn't appear to have lost her spirit just yet. Fierce eyes watched as he bent down to be level with her, Nagisa wrapping thin fingers around the metal bars. He wasn't sure what compelled him to speak with her, or even pause in his walking to do so. Gou was in trouble after all. But something just seemed to draw him in. There was something strange about her.

"What's your name?" He asked quietly, making sure that no one would overhear them.

The demon simply stared at him, as if trying to decide whether to trust the friendly angel before her. After several moments she seemed to uncurl from her spot on the floor, rising to her feet in silence. She pattered over to the edge of the cage, sitting down in front of him. "I don't have one. At least, not one that I can call my own. These bastards gave me a name, something that they can poke fun at. Although ... When I was human, my mother used to call me Bumblebee, so I've always used Bee. I suppose that counts as a name."

"It's a nice name, Bee-chan. Mine is Nagisa." The angel smiled but Bee simply stared at him, probably trying to figure out why he'd used the honorific. "How long have you been here?"

"Honestly ... I've lost count. It's been quite a while actually."

"How did RIn get a hold of you? That drug he uses?"

Bee scratched the back of her neck, glancing around with skittery eyes. It took a moment before she could look at him again. "It was actually a few of his little followers. Me and a friend were at a bar downtown, just the two of us. She didn't drink much but I had a little too many. We left together and she was walking me home just to make sure I didn't run into any trouble. Well, trouble ended up running into us. His Catchers surrounded us and we split up. Of course I didn't get very far but Kou was a lot smarter than me, and she hadn't drank anything at all. I was dragged here and so far I haven't seen her in any of the cells, so I'm assuming she got away. I've been here ever since."

Magenta eyes widened as he listened. "Did you say Kou? As in, Matsuoka Kou?" Bee nodded, tipping her head to the side. "Yeah. We're close friends. Why?"

Nagisa rubbed at his face, resting his head in his hands for a few moments. He looked back at Bee, taking a deep breath. "She got kidnapped, but not by Rin. We're actually on our way to go get her right now." The demon took a moment to understand what Nagisa just said, before she was on her feet.

"You have to take me with you! If Kou is in danger because of me then I have to go help her!" The angel stood up, waving his hands. "Calm down, Bee-chan. I dunno if that's a good idea. You see ... Rin-chan is Gou-chan's older brother so he's coming along with me. It might not be safe. But ... I might be able to convince him to release you."

"No. If you're going to go get Kou then I'm coming too! And if you won't let me, I'll find a way. Kou is my friend and if I hadn't convinced her to go drinking with me that night, she wouldn't be in this mess."

Nagisa stuck out his tongue, biting it between his teeth in defeat. It was an old habit of his, unfortunately. He sighed, looking over at the even more impatient Rin. "Fine. I'll go ask Rin-chan if you can go with us. Just wait here." The angel scurried away, not hearing her answer. The demon was practically seething by then. "I thought I told you to stay close to me."

"You're not my father, Rin-chan. I can take care of myself." Without giving the demon a chance to answer, he pointed in Bee's direction. "That demon down there knows Gou-chan. She said she was with her when Gou-chan was first taken; she might be helpful." The glare never left his face. Rin's fist was shaking, as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to hit Nagisa or not. A growl rumbled from his throat. "No. She's not getting out. That demon belongs to me now and I won't just release her because she _thinks_ she knows Gou."

"None of these creatures are your property, Rin-chan. You may keep them in cages against their will but they're not _yours_, nor will they ever be. They've been stolen from their homes and families because of you. You're lucky I don't take you back as a prisoner and let them all go right now." The angel watched as Rin took a step back, growling louder. Those ears were shoved forwards, Nagisa watching a long tail lash in rage.

"I'll kill you right now, Nagisa. Don't think I won't," the demon snarled.

There was a time that Nagisa might have been afraid of Rin, but that was in the past. He wasn't a young little angel anymore. His powers had grown, he was stronger now, and he actually knew how to fight if it came to that. Nagisa hoped that it wouldn't but there was no way he'd back down to the one that had nearly destroyed his life.

"I'm not as small as I used to be. Even if you did manage to kill me I could still give you a few memory-worthy wounds, _Rin_." The use of his name, _his actual name_, seemed to break RIn out of his small fit of rage. He visually slumped, moving a few steps away from Nagisa to calm himself down. "She's not leaving this place and that's final." The angel winced as strong fingers wrapped around his arm and yanked him along, Nagisa looking back at Bee's cage before the door was shut in his face.

* * *

He was still burning with rage by the time they got outside, his tail lashing and heart beating with adrenaline. Oh he was pissed, Rin still growling at the way Nagisa had treated him. Samezuka was _his_ property; everything _inside_ was his property. All of it belonged to him. How dare Nagisa, _an angel_, try to tell him what to do?

His hand was still wrapped tightly around Nagisa's arm, maybe a little too tightly. But at that point, the demon could care less. Rin dragged the angel back to his own room and shoved him inside, slamming the door. He immediately rounded on Nagisa, snarling once more. His blood was practically boiling. Normally he avoided getting so angry for one reason. When demons got enraged, their minds often switched to auto-pilot and many a time they lost control over themselves. This is exactly what Rin was trying to avoid now, taking deep breaths and making sure he didn't glance at Nagisa.

"Samezuka is _mine_. I've spent years building this place up to the way I want it to be. You have no right to just fly back into my life."

"Taking away someone's rights is _wrong_, Rin! These are living creatures, with feelings and family and friends! You can't just do that." The demon whipped around, snarling. "You never would've found out if you hadn't come looking for me. You're the one that appeared back in _my_ life. Gou doesn't actually need my help does she? This was all an excuse to see me wasn't it!"

Nagisa seemed physically hurt by those words, stepping away from Rin. It took several moments before he could speak. Rin noticed this, his body coiled as tight as a spring. "You're the one that chased _me_ away, Rin. I wouldn't be here unless I absolutely needed to. Gou is in trouble. They won't give her back unless you're there!" At that point, the demon was so angry that he barely heard the words Nagisa uttered. He surged forwards, right hand wrapping around the angel's throat and slamming him against the wall. His entire body was shaking with rage, the growl that left his throat borderline feral.

"I told you before that I wanted nothing to do with you anymore. I never did! You never understood that, Nagisa! No matter what we had between us back then, we don't have it anymore. You don't mean anything to me. You never did and you never will!" Maybe Rin didn't mean those words; he was so far into his rage that none of them really registered to him. He did, however, notice that his grip was impossibly tight.

Nagisa's fingers scrabbled at his arm, the demon suddenly jerking back as he realized what he was doing. The blond slid to the floor in a coughing fit, and Rin wasn't sure whether to enjoy the way the angel passed out or be horrified with himself. HIs demonic side figured that out for him.

* * *

Sooooo ... this chapter took on a mind of it's own and once I started writing, it just sort of went this way. Bee isn't really an OC. I modeled her after the girl that Kou was first seen with. We never really found out much about her so I decided to use her here.

Also, thanks for the few reviews that this story has gotten so far. I'm glad that people actually like reading this story and I hope you're enjoying it~


	4. Memories

By the time Nagisa came around, he was weighed down by a pounding headache. At first he was confused, trying to understand what exactly had happened to him. The angel was disoriented and in pain and yet his mind hadn't quite caught up just yet. When it did catch up, however, the realizations of what had happened hit him like a freight train. Magenta eyes widened, the angel's heart skipping a beat as he remember all of those horrible words, all of the pain and anger that had come from Rin's voice. All of the thoughts and unspoken feelings that the demon had been holding inside for all these years ... Now Nagisa finally understood.

The realization that all of Rin's words, even the ones from the past, had been true made him feel a bit hollow. Nagisa had thought them jokes, made to get a reaction other than puppy-dog happiness from him but he had just been fooling himself, refusing to see the truth that dangled so obviously in front of his face. Other memories were dragged forwards from a life of naïve innocence, making the too-old angel wonder just who else hated him with all their heart.

All of the useless thinking was weighing him down, making his head hurt even more. Nagisa flopped back onto the ground, not even bothering to understand where he was. The cold seeped into his bones, turning already-cold feelings into ice. And as he fell into sleep, the angel began to dream.

* * *

_"What about you? Where did you come from?"_

_"Me?" The angel was unused to questions about his own past. Nagisa gave a warm smile and scratched the back of his head. "I'm from a little village on the outside of this mountain. Nothing too special." He glanced around him, spotting Makoto taking a seat next to Haruka. Rin was currently enjoying his newfound power above them, flying and diving with jerky movements. _

_"Why do you ask, Haru-chan?" The mix-blood watched him with even blue eyes, keeping his feet in the little stream below. He was a merman, lucky enough to have a human parent as well. At least he didn't have a tail; that might be a bit weird, for all of them. "I can only swim here twice a week; of course I'm curious. You never talk about yourself either."_

_The angel's wings fluttered a bit, the brown feathers soft and downy. "I'm just an angel that got lured in by a demon, nothing more." Nagisa craned his neck to look up at Rin, seeing the demon falter in his turn, probably due to the air circulation in the cave. "I suppose I have to teach Rin-chan how to fly~"_

_He heard Makoto chuckle and even Haruka smiled at that. The angel stood up and stretched, spreading his wings in a wind arc. They flexed, before he leaped of the ground and flapped his wings in a whirl of wind. It was enough to take him airborne, Nagisa soaring up on the little current to the top of the cave, where Rin was struggling to stay aloof. The angel giggled. "You'll never get anywhere flailing like a fish, Rin-chan!" A growl was thrown his way, the demon latching onto a few stones on the top of the cave. "Then show me how to do it!" Nagisa pointed at the steaming geisers around the cave. "See those? Fly over them every once in a while and the warm air will help keep you flying. Watch."_

_Nagisa fluttered towards one, curving his wings to allow the air to push him up a bit. The brown expanses arched as he made his way back to Rin, creating little gusts of wind with each powerful stroke. "Now you try." Grumbling a bit about a demon listening to an angel, Rin went on his way, allowing the warm air to give him a bit more height as well. "Hey! It actually worked!" _

_"Of course it did, Rin-chan. You're learning from the best!" The demon rolled his eyes and Nagisa snickered. "Let's try it outside the mountain now; that should be fun~" Rin shrugged. "As long as the humans don't spot us I suppose." Nagisa clapped his hands together and called down to Makoto and Haruka. "I'm gonna teach him how to actually fly! We'll be back in a little bit!" He waited until Makoto waved to them, giving the okay, before Nagisa flew over to the opening that led to the outside. "Come on! Or is Rin-chan afraid to fly~?"_

_The demon growled. "I'll show you afraid!" He was into the night air before Nagisa could laugh about Rin's pride._

* * *

Nagisa's eyes fluttered open, the angel letting out a soft noise at the memory. Those had been the days, when species didn't matter and friendship was forever and all that. He was younger here, a barely new Guardian Angel. The beginnings of Akuryo, before they'd even had a name for it, had sat around them, half-made buildings and bricks lying along the ground. Each building was made different, boasting strange designs and the unique creatures behind them. His own building still stood in the center of Akuryo; he had checked before doing anything else. It was a sacred place, off-limits by everyone other than Rin. Makoto, Haruka, and Rin's were also around his own.

At least the creature's that now inhabited Akuryo respected the four who created it.

Makoto had been a simple woodland elf, tall for his age and much too adventurous. He had stumbled upon the opening in the mountain first, finding the cave that would later harbour the supernatural city. Rin had been next, running from humans in an effort to escape their wrath. At first the elf and the demon had been at odds, but Makoto's caring nature had led to him healing the angry ball of black fur. Rin had been too stubborn to accept at first, but eventually the two of them had formed a friendship together.

Haruka had been the third one to appear within the mountain's depths. It was a truly peculiar way, following one of the coldest springs on the earth all the way from the ocean. He had been half-human, half-merman, blessed with the ability to walk upon land for short periods of time. But this also set him apart, as he was without a tail throughout his entire life. This made him an outcast, like the tall elf and the abandoned demon. The three of them were drawn together, and spent most of their time within the mountain cave.

Nagisa had learned all of this after he had stumbled into the very place himself. It took awhile for the three of them to trust the angel; he was considered the one not welcome. But eventually they accepted him, and Nagisa spoke nothing of the reason he had died. Life went on like normal for the four of them, save the twice-a-week meetings. Then the idea of Akuryo had sprung up out of nowhere, some sort of dream that Makoto had had one night.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts long enough to prop himself up and assess his surroundings. The angel was lying on soft fabric, his wrists bound together. Nagisa's wings hung limply at either side of his body but they weren't broken. He felt hot, heat crawling down his spine. _The drug._ With heavy movements, he dragged himself into an upright position and glanced around.

_Rin's room, I'm still in Rin's room. _

But where was Rin? And why the hell was he tied up? Oops, swear word.

Nagisa vaguely heard shouting, muffled behind the large door locking him in. His heart raced a bit, the angel struggling to stand. He nearly fell over at first; having wings act as deadweight wasn't pleasant. Using his teeth, he tore at the rope around his wrists, but the attempt was weak and half-hearted. Luckily his ankles weren't bound. The angel tugged at the door, surprised when it opening quite easily. He fell back onto his butt, staring out into the dimly lit room.

Rin stood there, looking quite angry. His face was scrunched in a scowl, and even his wings were ruffled against his back. The long black tail lashed every few moments, agitation pricking his shoulders. Another demon, looking to be a businessman dressed in all black, stood a few feet across from him. His hair was slicked back, a lion-like tail wrapped around his leg. Both of them looked in his direction, the man's eyes lighting up as he spotted Nagisa upon the floor. The angel tried his hardest not to let the drug affect him in their presence, magenta eyes narrowing as he watched the two demons.

"Hmm, you didn't tell me you had an angel stowed away here." Rin let out a low growl, moving to stop the man from advancing towards Nagisa. "He's not for sale nor will he ever be." A smirk spread across pale lips. "I believe I can convince you, dear Matsuoka-san. How much do you want for him? I'm open to any price."

"What your tongue!" Rin snarled, ears shoved as far forward as they would go. "He's the original angel of Akuryo, Hazuki Nagisa himself! I'll never sell him to a dirty old man like you!"

Nagisa was taken aback. Just a little bit ago, Rin was spouting off words of hate and malicious anger. He figured the demon had no respect for him whatsoever. The angel was confused. _I suppose I won't ever understand him, even though I've known him for all these years._

The strange man seemed to change a bit, his shoulders slumping and his eyes widening. "Ah ... forgive me, Matsuoka-san. I'll simply pay for my current purchases and be on my way."

Rin didn't even offer a response, staying in his dominant stance in front of the doorway, even long after the man had vanished. His head then whipped back to Nagisa's form, the angel slumped against the doorframe. The blond let out a soft sigh, his body feeling heavy. "As soon as those drugs wear off we'll be on our way." He nodded and Rin walked forwards, untying the ropes from around his hands. The demon carried him back to the bed, dropping him on it not-to-gently.

They sat in silence for a long while, both contemplating their actions and the words strung between them. Heat still shivered throughout his body, probably to make him weak and vulnerable to anything that might happen his way. It was a sadistic sort of drug, dropping defences and the ability to run away. Nagisa refused to think about what people -people like Bee- might've had to go through under the influence of said drug.

Eventually, it was Nagisa that broke the silence, unable to bear it any longer. It was almost natural that he be the one.

"I had a dream." The words were careful, spoken with a nearly emotionless voice. Magenta eyes were kept trained on the floor.

Moments passed, and the angel figured that Rin would just continue to ignore him.

"Let me guess, it was a foolish dream full of childish desires." Nagisa ignores the smirk along conceited lips, choosing to forget the way Rin holds himself above the hurting blond. They're all things that he's managed to forget through out these two-hundred years.

"It was a dream about the past, about us. The day that I taught you how to fly ..."

* * *

_"Bank like this, Rin-chan!" Nagisa shifted his wing a bit, the feathers catching the warm air above the mountainside. He turned in midair, before coming to a halt to investigate how Rin was doing. The demon looked like he was struggling, getting caught in every single wind gust and being tossed about. With a little giggle, the blond went to help the older being, smoothing Rin's wings out. "Don't fight it; just let the air take you where it wants. Be calm, and the wind shall be calm with you. You shouldn't even have to strain your wings after you learn how to coast and ride the thermals."_

_"I don't understand how you angels do this kind of thing all the time!" The demon growled, clearly unhappy about being so far away from land. _

_"Your kind doesn't usually get to fly, right, Rin-chan? I would enjoy the gift I gave you!" _

_Rin snorted. "Like I needed wings in the first place." Nagisa laughed. "You're the one who always wanted to try out flying yourself. I simply granted your wish! Besides, you seemed to love flying around last night~" Pink spread across the demon's cheeks. "D-don't spy on people, Nagisa!"_

_"I didn't~ You're just loud!"_

_"Stalker!"_

_"Chicken~"_

_Rin glared at him for a few moments before the both of them burst out laughing. "It's strange how a demon and an angel can be friends. But I'm glad, Rin-chan. You didn't try to kill me when we first met."_

_The air around them suddenly turned serious. "I wanted to. When I first sensed you coming down that tunnel, I felt that little part that all of us try to hide. It's a demonic pressure that makes up go crazy with anger. Your appearance nearly had me tear you apart on the spot, but I stopped. You looked ... really familiar." _

_"That's because we-"_

_Nagisa barely managed to get the words out before he was plummeting towards the ground._

* * *

Nagisa raised his hand and pressed his fingers against the little scar on his right shoulder. There was another just like it on his left thigh, scars that the angel had refused to get rid of. Both of them were reminders of the day he nearly died, again.

"I still don't know why you saved me that day. Those demons were like you after all ..."

Rin growled, glaring at Nagisa with angry crimson eyes. "Those demons were _nothing_ like me, hunting angels for pure sport!"

"Is that not what you do now?"

The demon faltered, his face growing slack. "You hunt innocent creatures and lock them in a cage. You may not kill them, but you take away their freedom and trap them in a place where they do not wish to be."

"That's ... different."

"It's not, Rin-chan, and if you're too blind to see it ... Then these scars were for nothing."

By the time the drugs had bled out of his system once more, Nagisa was ready to get out of the place known as Samezuka. Rin came to get him late in the night, silent and holding a single bag of supplies. He led the angel through twisting hallways and dark corners, making the place seem much bigger than it actually was. The air was beginning to taste more like spring water and less like sweat, making Nagisa's wings flutter in anticipation.

He was surprised when the tunnel led not into Akuryo, but outside the mountain, a star-dotted sky high above them. The night air tasted like winter, and Nagisa stretched his wings wide and took off before he even thought about it. It felt divine to be free again, soaring through the air in an almost content way. It appeared that their quest had finally begun.

* * *

Yes yes I know, this update is laaaate, but I've been really busy. ;3; Hope you all enjoy and I promise to have a new chapter up next week!


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